Kirsty presents: Food Art

Sometimes I find art made out of food quite distressing. When I see those strange, misshapen sculptures that are entered into competitions at agricultural fairs around the country I mourn the waste. I think this reaction has much to do with the fact that said sculptures are usually half decomposed by the third day of the show, at which point I think of the poor sod who has to scrape the fetid, liquefying remains of vegetable carcasses from the cabinets in which they’re displayed.

Warner composes foodscapes and photographs them quite beautifully, as the image composed of purple cabbage above attests. In the article there is some mention of the ill effects of hot lights on food, and, despite claims to the contrary, I’m not entirely convinced there’s much left over that’s edible after the obvious manipulations of supergluing and pinning. Still, since I can’t either see or smell any signs of decomposition in the images featured in the article, well, that leaves me to concentrate on the artistry of the sculpture and photography itself, which, you must admit, is quite spectacular.

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BTW, there are a few more bird photos on my Flickr. Couldn’t get many of the actual plucking/gutting process as it was only me and Marco in the garage. His lack of opposable is very inconvenient sometimes…

Are those mushrooms protruding from that eggplant supposed to be eyes? You’ll get no competition from me over the country vege sculptures: horrid, fetid little creatures. Just look how the ‘hair’ on that leek has gone all shrivelled and crispy. At least I think it’s hair… ; )

Before I renewed my membership of the human race and went along to the Canberra Show in 2003, I was unaware of that such a pair of words – one long and complicated and from the wrong end of the alphabet, the other short, sassy and able to look good wearing anything – could be the high point of human endeavour. Better even than the old steam engines that chug at ridiculously slow rates.

And the fact that unlike the ANZACS, age has wearied them just adds to the atraction. But the photo of purple cabbages etc is indeed v. good.